Something Worth Leaving Behind
by Dessa
Summary: Jiemi evaluates his worth in life. Based off of my real-life feelings lately. Please RR [updated 11-18-04 with chapter 5]
1. Leaving

Something Worth Leaving Behind  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Zoids Shinseiki / Zero. MBS played it in Japan. Tomy made the toys. I'm also not making any money off of this. I also do not own the song "Something Wort Leaving Behind." Leanne Womack sings it, I don't know who wrote it.  
  
Note: This will not be a deathfic. I don't write them. And I use the Japanese names, too. And the story is written from Jiemi's point of view. And it's not exactly a songfic, either, 'cause the story's not told with the song. Song lyrics are written between // (meaning: //(lyrics)//).  
  
~~~~~ Chapter One- Leaving ~~~~~  
  
"So that's what we'll do in the battle. Understand?" I stared at the rest of the Blitz Team. Ballade was nodding, but the others weren't. None of them were paying attention. I'd been with them long enough know their habits. Bit pretended to listen, but he was always looking at the clock. He wasn't paying any attention. Rinon listened until I instructed her to blow something up, then she started daydreaming. Ballade just sat there and nodded at appropriate spots. I haven't figured out if he's actually listening, or if he was just sleeping and was lucky enough to be nodding at the right spots. He always sat with his arms crossed like that and his eyes closed. And Doc... Doc was playing with his models under the table... again.  
  
I sighed. Bit mistook my sigh of frustration for nervousness, and patted my back as the others left the room, "Don't worry, Jiemi, we'll do fine. There's nothing that my Raigaru Zero and I can't beat!" And then he left, too. I sat back down in my chair. Of course we'd win. We always do. No thanks to me, of course. All I do is plan strategies that no one ever uses. I looked at the clock. Two hours until the match. We were already at the battle site, so I didn't have to drive the hover cargo there. The Zoids were all in perfect condition, so I didn't have to do any maintenance. Lunch was an hour ago, and I just did the laundry a couple of days ago. No one would be needing me until the battle. Of course, no one would be needing me then, either, but Doc would get suspicious if I wasn't there to give info to the three fighting during the battle. So I thought about what I could do, and decided that I could either go and work out, or I could get some rest. Since Bit and Ballade would probably be working out themselves, I decided to get some rest. I'm never in the mood to put up with them pumping themselves up, both physically and mentally, before a match, especially after they've blown off my contributions to the team.  
  
~~~~~  
  
"Bit! To your left!" I shouted at the warrior, and then watched him dodge to the right, right into the enemy's next attack. I leaned back in my chair and sighed. As usual, they weren't following my strategy, and didn't listen to me trying to help them.  
  
~~~~~  
  
Back at the base, after the battle, I sat in my room and thought. We'd won the battle, needless to say, so Doc ordered out for dinner. Which meant that I didn't have to cook. Am I really worth anything to the team? I thought. Sure, I do all of the cooking and chores, but with all of these wins we've wracked up, they could afford a maid to do all of that. Am I worth anything to anyone? Just then, I realized that if I left, I could easily be replaced, and no one would think twice. Checking to make sure no one was in the hallway (they were all watching a movie Doc had rented for celebration), I threw some clothes and other things into a knapsack, and snuck down to the hangar. I climbed up in Reinosu's cockpit, took one last look around, hit the hangar door switch, and flew off, closing the door behind me. I put Reinosu on auto-pilot away from the base, and turned and looked back at the place I'd called home for the past few years. It certainly didn't feel like home anymore.  
  
~~~~~  
  
I started getting a little tired as I flew, so I decided to see what I could tune in on Reinosu's radio, as I looked for a place to land. The first station I found had a pretty decent song on it, so I left it there. Finding a spot to land, I started toward it, and a new song came on. As I landed Reinosu and tried to arrange myself to get to sleep, I listened to the words of the song:  
  
//Hey Mona Lisa Who's that Leonardo? Was he Andy Warhol? Were you Marilyn Monroe?//  
  
I snickered. This song wasn't too bad.  
  
//Hey Motzart What kind of name is Amadeus? It's kinda like Elvis Gotta die to be famous//  
  
What kind of name is Bit, anyway? I thought, starting to drift off. Too bad he's already famous, thanks to his stupid Raigaru Zero.  
  
//I may not go down in history I just want someone To remember me//  
  
As I fell into sleep, my last consious thought was Will anyone remember me? Or even notice I'm gone?  
  
~~~~~  
  
Review? Please?  
  
~~~~~ Song Lyrics from Chapter One: ~~~~~  
  
Hey Mona Lisa Who's that Leonardo? Was he Andy Warhol? Were you Marilyn Monroe? Hey Motzart What kind of name is Amadeus? It's kinda like Elvis Gotta die to be famous  
  
I may not go down in history I just want someone To remember me 


	2. Worth

Something Worth Leaving Behind  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Zoids Shinseiki / Zero. MBS played it in Japan. Tomy made the toys. I'm also not making any money off of this. I also do not own the song "Something Wort Leaving Behind." Leanne Womack sings it, I don't know who wrote it.  
  
Note: As before, this will not be a deathfic, the Japanese names are used, and the story's written from Jiemi's point of view. Also remember, song lyrics are written between // (meaning: //(lyrics)//). As an added note, Leanne Womack's album, "Something Worth Leaving Behind," was just released on August 20th (I did start writing this part before it was out, but not having it out's gonna be important to the story, 'cause Jiemi never hears the entire song).  
  
~~~~~ What has come before... ~~~~~  
  
Jiemi, fed up with how no one appreciates him, left in the Reinosu. He decided to land the Zoid and get some sleep, and began to wonder if anyone would remember him, or even realize he was gone.  
  
~~~~~ Chapter 2- Worth ~~~~~  
  
I opened my eyes, and immediately closed them again against the orange light that I was bathed in. Where am I? I thought, before realizing that I was in the cockpit of my Reinosu. The shield above me was causing the oddness to the color of light. Checking the scanners to make sure no one had followed (or found) me, I tuned the radio to a news station, to make sure no one had discovered the Reinosu and I missing and reported it. They're more likely to report a stolen Zoid than a missing person, I thought dejectedly. Powering up the systems, I took off, toward the closest town I knew of. I didn't know where I was going to go, but I knew I needed supplies.  
  
~~~~~  
  
In town, the store I stopped at to buy food supplies had the radio tuned to the same station I had found the night before. The same song was on, too.  
  
//I'll prob'ly never hold the brush That paints the masterpiece I'll prob'ly never find the pen That writes the symphony//  
  
As the shop owner turned the radio down to help me, I asked him, "What song is that?"  
"The one just on the radio?" he asked. "It's a new song. 'Something Worth Leaving Behind', or something like that. That Womack girl sings it."  
"Do you know where I can get a copy of it?" I asked, as he put the supplies I'd bought into a bag.  
"Don't think the album's been released yet, son. But they play it all the time on this here station, so ya can listen to it there."  
I thanked the man, and paid him, and put the food supplies into the back of the Reinosu and flew off.  
  
~~~~~  
  
Back at the Blitz Team base, the others had just realized that I was no where to be found.  
"Dad, where's Jiemi?" Rinon asked her father.  
"I haven't seen him today. Did you check his room?" Rinon nodded. "The kitchen?" Another nod. "The laundry room?" Nod. "The computer room?" Nod. "The hangar?"  
"I haven't checked the hangar yet... He COULD be there..." Rinon trailed off as she left the room. Dr. Torosu looked at the clock. It was around lunchtime, and while I did sleep in occasionally, or go off on my own for a while, it wasn't like me to not be seen all morning.  
  
~~~~~  
  
When Rinon got to the hangar, she found Bit and Ballade working on their Zoids, but not me. No one had noticed that Reinosu was also gone.  
"Have you guys seen Jiemi?" Rinon asked the boys.  
Bit looked up. "Isn't he inside?" Rinon shook her head.  
Ballade looked over toward the corner of the hangar, and noticed that Reinosu was gone. "It seems he went out. But Bit and I have been in here since just after breakfast, and he wasn't in here then."  
"Maybe he went out before breakfast?" Rinon suggested, trying to find a logical reason for me not to be on base.  
"He could've," Ballade replied, "but Jiemi knows better than to pilot on an empty stomach. And when Doc and I got into the kitchen this morning for coffee, no one had been in there. If Jiemi had've gotten something to eat, his washed dishes would at least be in the strainer."  
Rinon mulled over this information. "But if he's not on base, and he didn't leave this morning, where could he be?"  
  
~~~~~  
  
I, on the other hand, was completely unaware that the others had even noticed I was missing. I was, however, starting to realize that my ill- planned vacation wasn't exactly my best idea. What if something happened to me? If I got hurt, and no one knew where I was, I didn't want to be stuck out in the middle of nowhere. I have to let SOMEONE know what's going on. But who? I can't tell Dad, 'cause he'll wanna know why I left, and then he'll get on Doc, and Doc'll get all upset, and then Dad'll make me go back, and Doc'll've told everyone how I'm feeling, and then they'll all be nicey-nice to me. No, I can't tell Dad. But who else am I close enough to to trust? LEON! Leon and me've been friends since as long as I can remember. And he's always believed in me and my abilities. HE'll keep the secret. But what about Naomi? Naomi'll want to know why I'm off by myself, and I don't know if I can trust her to keep it a secret. She's never done anything to hurt me before (outside of battle, that is, and that's just trying to freeze the Zoid), and that time we teamed up we did make a good team... I really don't have a choice. I'm all on my own out here, and I'm gonna need help. Leon's her teammate now, and teammates have to have some sort of trust between them. If Leon'll trust her, then I guess I will too.  
  
~~~~~ Song Lyrics from Chapter 2 ~~~~~  
  
I'll prob'ly never hold the brush That paints the masterpiece I'll prob'ly never find the pen That writes the symphony  
  
~~~~~  
  
Yup, Leon and Naomi'll be in the next chapter. I wanna really build up the relationship between Leon and Jiemi, 'cause I feel it's something that not enough writers touch upon. I mean, they're two guys, maybe about 5 years apart (I place Leon about 19, and Jiemi's 14), and they obviously would've grown up together, given that their dad's are best friends (I have to see the Japanese scene from episode 13 with Jiemi's dad, though, 'cause it still doesn't explain the fact that Rinon doesn't seem to know Jiemi's dad... but if Torosu and Hemerosu didn't get together after Hemerosu's accident, which I place when Jiemi was 7, from the picture, that's 7 years before /0... and Jiemi and Rinon have obviously been together longer than just in the team, so it still works), so I'm gonna touch upon the fact that Jiemi probably feels like Leon's almost a big brother to him. 


	3. Trust

Something Worth Leaving Behind  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Zoids Shinseiki / Zero. MBS played it in Japan. Tomy made the toys. I'm also not making any money off of this. I also do not own the song "Something Wort Leaving Behind." Leanne Womack sings it, I don't know who wrote it.  
  
Note: As before, this will not be a deathfic, the Japanese names are used, and the story's written from Jiemi's point of view. Also remember, song lyrics are written between // (meaning: //(lyrics)//). New this chapter: means it's coming over a com unit.  
  
Story note: In this chapter (and probably some further down), I'm gonna make mention of and hint at an older sister that Jiemi has. This older sister is Arasu Hemerosu, who is in my "Princess of the Zoids" storyarc, of which "Could it Be Me" is the only story currently available. She's not going to be in the story, but to make it fit into the continuity started in CiBM, I have to acknowledge her.  
  
~~~~~ What has come before... ~~~~~  
  
Jiemi, fed up with how no one appreciates him, left in the Reinosu. Incase anything happens to him, he's decided to tell Leon Torosu about how he feels.  
  
~~~~~ Chapter 3- Trust ~~~~~  
  
It didn't take me long to locate Leon and Naomi. I checked the ZBC's schedule for official Zoid battles, and, luckily, they had a battle that day. I flew out to the battle site, just in time to catch Leon take down the last opponent. I flipped on the com unit, and called out to him.  
"Hey Leon!"  
Leon's voice came back.   
"Can we talk?" I asked back.  
Leon was silent for a moment.   
"Actually, I am."  
Leon clicked off the com unit, and I turned the Reinosu to follow his Blade Raiga toward their transport.  
When I landed, Naomi waved at me, and then pointed toward the back of the transport, where Leon was taking care of his Zoid. As I approached the Zoid, Leon spotted me and jumped down.  
"Okay, Jiemi, what's going on? You sounded upset over the com."  
"It's just..." I trailed off. How do I tell him what's going on? I tried to start telling him again, but no sound came out of my mouth, just a stream of tears from my eyes.  
Leon didn't say anything, just pulled me up onto the back of the transport, and underneath the Blade Raiga. "Jiemi, I've known you since you were a baby. You've always been a younger brother to me. You've got to tell me what's wrong. Take your time, but you've got to tell me."  
I took a deep breath. "It's just... I just..." I took another deep breath. "I feel like no one appreciates me." It felt like a giant weight had been taken off of me by telling Leon. "I do all the work, and no one ever acknowledges it. I mean, it's not like I don't enjoy what I do; I love working on strategies, and I don't mind cooking and cleaning, but I just wish sometimes that the others would take notice."  
"I understand what you're going through, Jiemi. You've had a rough life. You lost your mother when you were young, and then after your father's accident, and your sister leaving... I always had the support of my father and sister, but you've had a lot of stuff happen to you, and you've had to grow up fast. You're going through a period like I did when I left the Blitz team. You need to learn who you are, and where you fit into things. I respect you for that, and don't worry, neither I nor Naomi will tell anyone that we've seen you, as long as you promise to keep in touch with us, so that we know you're okay."  
I nodded, not trusting myself to say anything.  
Leon claped his hand on my back. "Good. Now, it smells as if Naomi's got some food ready for us, so let's go get something to eat." He handed me a hankerchief from his back pocket, and I whiped my face, so Naomi couldn't see that I'd been crying.  
  
~~~~~  
  
After a pleasant meal with Leon and Naomi (who didn't ask any questions, thankfully), I took off again, not sure where I was going, just that it was away from the base. I turned on the radio, and caught more of that song.  
  
//Hey Midas They say you have the magic touch But even all that shiny stuff Someday's gonna turn to dust Hey Jesus Must've been some Sunday mornin' In a blase of glory We're still telling your story//  
  
I'm not going to go down in a blaze of glory with my strategies, that's for sure, I thought. Especially when they're rarely followed... But what if I lose my strategy making? What will I do with my life then?  
  
~~~~~ Song Lyrics from Chapter 3 ~~~~~  
  
Hey Midas They say you have the magic touch But even all that shiny stuff Someday's gonna turn to dust Hey Jesus Must've been some Sunday mornin' In a blaze of glory We're still telling your story  
  
~~~~~  
  
Well, we're about to the middle of the song (it goes Verse, Chorus, Verse, Chorus, Verse, Tag, and we're to the 2nd verse). So there should be about 3, maybe 4 more chapters (the final chapter will have the whole song, since not all of it will be included). Yes, there will be more on what's going on back at base, and then something's gonna happen to change Jiemi's perception of himself. And if you know the song, it is NOT what happens at the end of the song. In fact, it might happen in the next chapter, or the chapter after that. 


	4. Dreams

Something Worth Leaving Behind  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Zoids Shinseiki / Zero. MBS played it in Japan. Tomy made the toys. I'm also not making any money off of this. I also do not own the song "Something Wort Leaving Behind." Leanne Womack sings it, I don't know who wrote it.  
  
Note: As before, this will not be a deathfic, the Japanese names are used, and the story's written from Jiemi's point of view. Also remember, song lyrics are written between // (meaning: //(lyrics)//). Oh, and for the person who made the comment on the first chapter that "Ballade" was a much stranger name than "Bit"... Well, Ballade does romanticize to Ballad (ya know, a kind of song), so I don't find that as funny as "Bit." Plus, if you watch the first episode, Jiemi seemed more a part of the team before Bit came, so he also has anger to vent against Bit, even though he really doesn't have a problem with him.  
  
Story note: There will be a cameo starting in this chapter. If no one can figure out what she's from, I'll post it at the end of the story... please note that it's just the character name and, er, "occupation" bleeding over, not the exact same character.  
  
~~~~~ What has come before... ~~~~~  
  
Jiemi has confided in Leon Torosu what he's feeling, and Leon has made a deal with him to keep his secret as long as Jiemi keeps him informed on what's going on.  
  
~~~~~ Chapter 4- Dreams ~~~~~  
  
After leaving Naomi and Leon, I decided that I needed to get away from the Reinosu for a while, so I headed into a nearby town and parked the Reinosu on the outside of town. That song was making me think. That one line... //I'll prob'ly never dream a dream and watch it turn to gold//... What is my dream? I guess I've never thought about it. I suppose at one point my dream was to be a Zoid pilot. But I'm not really all that great at it. And after Dad's accident... Then I discovered strategizing. I love coming up with battle schemes, but it hurts when no one uses them. Does it mean that they're no good?  
  
**sigh**  
  
"Hey, boy, get outta the way!" someone yelled from behind me, knocking me out of the way. I pushed myself off of the wall I'd hit and saw what looked to be a reporter and camera crew rushing down the street in the direction I was headed. I shrugged, and decided to follow them, considering that I was already going in that direction.  
  
It didn't take me long before I spotted the large crowd. "What's going on?" I asked someone on the outskirts.  
  
"Don't you know? The next big pop idol is here! She just recorded her first single!" That told me what the crowd was for, but not much else.  
  
Knowing that I'd never get through or around the crowd, I decided to go around the back of what must be a recording studio. As I walked past the various backdoors, one of them opened, and a slight figure in a big coat and baseball came out so fast she started to fall down the short flight of steps. Thinking fast, I rushed fast and caught her before she could fall. She looked up at me, surprised, then climbed back to her feet.  
  
"Th--Thank you. You're not... not one of them?" she asked.  
  
"Them?" I replied. "Oh, you mean that crowd out there. No... I was back here trying to get AROUND the crowd."  
  
The girl giggled. "Do you think you can help me out? My mom is probably just figuring out now that I'm gone, and she's gonna be angry. I can't go out front, because of the crowd. Can you help me get away? I just want to be a normal girl for a little while." Not having any other plans, I grabbed her hand and led her back down the alley, the way I'd come. No one turned to look at us as we entered the street, so we ran back down the street, away from the crowd.  
  
~~~~~  
  
The two of us finally collapsed at the feet of Reinosu, on the outskirts of town. I don't know which we actually collapsed from, being tired, or laughing so hard. When we finally regained our composures, we sat in the shade from my Zoid and just talked.  
  
"Oh, I forgot, we haven't been properly introduced," she said suddenly, her purple eyes shining. "I'm Onpu Segawa, 11 years old." She held out her hand  
  
Grinning, I returned the guesture, and replied, "I'm Jiemi Hemerosu, 14 years old." The two of us shook, solidifying our friendship. "So what was going on back there, anyway?"  
  
"My mother wants me to be an idol singer. Apparently, she had tried when she was young, but couldn't. I've always loved to sing, so she's been forcing me to be a singer like she was." Onpu sighed, and started singing a soft lullaby. I could see where her mom's ambitions came from... the girl was good!  
  
"But idol singers get lots of money, and become famous. Don't you want that?"  
  
"Who wouldn't want lots of money? Or fame? But... I just want to be a normal girl. I want to have friends! Not people who just want to be near me because I'm famous. Do you understand?"  
  
"Yeah... I think I know what it's like. I'm supposed to be the strategist for my Zoid team, but no one ever listens to me. It's like I'm only there because my dad and the leader of the team are friends. I want to have friends, same as you, but I feel trapped by my team." I paused, taking a deep breath. It was so easy to talk to this girl. "I never really thought about whether or not I wanted to be involved with Zoids. My dad was a famous Zoid pilot, and my sister was always really good around Zoids, whether it be fixing them, or programming them, or what. I guess it was always just assumed that I'd follow in their footsteps. Kinda like a family tradition."  
  
Onpu sighed. "This is the closest I've ever been to a Zoid," she said, thankfully changing the subject. "Can I see what the cockpit looks like?" Nodding, I helped her climb up the side of the Reinosu and behind me in the cockpit.  
  
"Do you wanna see what it's like to fly in one?" I timidly asked.  
  
"Really? That would be wonderful!"  
  
I started up the Reinosu's engine, and we took off. I adjusted the small mirror I kept in the cockpit, usually used to keep an eye behind me in battle, so that I could see her face. Those purple eyes of hers just lit up as we soared over town.  
  
~~~~~  
  
When the two of us got back to town, it was pretty late. Onpu was looking sheepishly at her feet, knowing that her mother would be worried sick, so I offered to walk her home.  
  
When we got to her house, Onpu took a deep breath, and then turned to me. "Will you come with me? I don't know if I can face my mother on my own." I nodded, and followed her up the steps.  
  
Onpu never even got a chance to open the door. "WHERE IN THE WORLD HAVE YOU BEEN, YOUNG LADY? I'VE BEEN SEARCHING ALL OVER TOWN FOR YOU! I WAS ABOUT TO CALL THE POLICE! AND WHO'S THIS WITH YOU?" her mother yelled.  
  
"Mother, please. The crowd was too big. It scared me. I tried leaving out the back, but I fell on the steps, and Jiemi caught me. He helped me get away from the crowd."  
  
"And just who is he? How did you know that he wasn't trying to kidnap you?"  
  
"Jiemi's my friend! My very first friend, since you won't let me have time to make any!" Onpu shouted at her mother, and then ran past her into the house.  
  
Onpu's mother turned to Jiemi. "I thank you for helping my daughter earlier, and apologize for her behavior now. She's usually much better behaved than this. Would you like to come in? It's rather late, you could stay for dinner. Or do you need to get back home?"  
  
"I don't have anywhere to go, and I'd love to stay for dinner," I replied, following her into the house.  
  
~~~~~  
  
Onpu's mother led me into the living room, and then brought me some tea. "I'd better go get Onpu," she said, standing up. "Would you like me to turn on the radio for you? I'm afraid we don't have a television yet. We just moved here last week." I nodded, and she left the room.  
  
What did you know, but that song was on the radio again.  
  
//I'll probably never dream a dream And watch it turn to gold I know I'll never loose my life To save another soul//  
  
'I'll probably never dream a dream and watch it turn to gold'? That line. is that what my father, and Onpu's mother are doing? Living their dreams through us, watching their dreams turn to gold? My thoughts were interrupted, however, with the return of Onpu's mother, who was looking quite frantic.  
  
"What's wrong," I asked her, jumping to my feet.  
  
"It's Onpu. She's gone. Her bedroom window was open, and she was gone! I'm afraid she might've run away!" Onpu's mother ran to the phone by the couch, and began to dial the police to help look for her daughter.  
  
I watched her, and then walked to the door. I was the one who had given Onpu the idea of running away, so it was my responsibility to bring her back.  
  
~~~~~ Song Lyrics from Chapter 4 ~~~~~  
  
I'll probably never dream a dream And watch it turn to gold I know I'll never loose my life To save another soul 


	5. Soul

**Something Worth Leaving Behind**

Disclaimer: I don't own Zoids Shinseiki / Zero. MBS played it in Japan. Tomy made the toys. I'm also not making any money off of this. I also do not own the song "Something Worth Leaving Behind." Leanne Womack sings it, I don't know who wrote it.

Note: As before, this will not be a deathfic, the Japanese names are used, and the story's written from Jiemi's point of view. Also remember, song lyrics are written between (meaning: (lyrics)).

What has come before...

Jiemi met a young singer named Onpu, who has similar feelings to Jiemi. However, after fighting with her mother, she has run away, and Jiemi is now trying to find her.

Chapter 5- Soul

As I started my search for Onpu, another search had begun as well...

Team Blitz was startled at the sound of a knock at the door during their dinner of cold leftovers. Glancing at each other to see who would answer the door, Rinon finally got up. When she reached the door, she opened it to find my dad standing there.

"Good evening, Rinon. Where is everybody?" he asked.

"We're in the kitchen eating dinner, Mr. Hemerosu," she replied.

"Lead the way, then. I got something for Jiemi." He patted the bag he had slung over his shoulder.

"Actually, ummm..." Rinon trailed off... Sighing, she led him to the kitchen.

"Oscar!" Doc called out when they appeared in the doorway. "How've you been?"

"Can't say I've been that bad." Looking around, he noticed my absence. "Where's Jiemi?"

Rinon, Bit, and Ballade looked at each other, and finally Doc stood up. "He's out," Doc said.

"During dinner? Jiemi should know better than to skip a meal. When's he supposed to be back?"

"We don't know, actually," Doc replied.

"Not sure? Well, where'd he go?" My dad was getting persistant.

Doc sighed. "We don't know. No one has seen him all day, and his Reinosu is gone."

My dad walked to the table, pulled out my empty chair, and sat down, hard. "Are you telling me that my son has been missing all day, along with his Zoid, and no one bothered to tell me?"

"He, he could've gone out to get supplies. He does that on his own sometimes, so I don't buy the expensive stuff," Doc tried defending himself.

"I know my son better than you do, Torosu. He may go out on his own for things, but he never leaves for extended periods of time without telling anyone."

"Dad," Rinon said quietly. "Jiemi didn't watch the movie with us last night, either. None of us have seen him since dinner last night."

The four of them could see my dad's anger level rising. I don't blame him, either. I remember how angry he was when Ara left. "My son has been missing for over a day! And none of you have done anything about it! And you call yourselves his friends! We need to report this, NOW."

Doc led my dad to the computer room, and my teammates followed behind them. "How far do you think he's gotten in a day?" Bit asked. "We don't know where to tell anyone to search."

"He took his Reinosu with him, didn't he?" Ballade answered.

"Yeah, but that just increases how far he could've gotten." Bit replied.

"This is Jiemi we're talking about. Jiemi would never leave his Reinosu behind. We just need to add to the report to search for his Reinosu, and Jiemi shouldn't be far away."

"Good thinking, Ballade," Doc told him, hoping to restore some of my dad's faith in him. Just then, the computer finished the connection, and they got ready to make the report.

At Onpu's house, her mother was also making a missing persons report. "So do you have any idea where she could've gone?" the police officer asked her.

"No," Onpu's mother replied. "She doesn't know any- wait, there's a boy she met. He brought her home this evening."

"Do you know his name? Where he lives?"

"No. He disappeared when I called you. I think Onpu called him Jiemi, but I'm not sure."

"Jiemi?! Do you know his last name, anything about him?" The police officer pushed.

"No. I'm sorry. Why, do you know him?"

The officer reached into his pouch, and brought out a photo. "Did he look like this?"

Onpu's mother took the photo from him, and found herself staring at my face. "Yes, this is him. Is he dangerous?"

"No, it's nothing like that. This is Jiemi Hemerosu, a Zoid pilot with Team Blitz. He also reported missing earlier this evening. He left with his Reinosu, and we found the Zoid at the edge of town, and was thinking he could be in town somewhere. Do you know where he went?"

"No. He told me he didn't have anywhere to go. Do you think he went after Onpu?" Onpu's mother sat down, tears in her eyes.

"It's possible. He may go back to the Reinosu, so we're keeping an eye on it. In the meantime, I need you to tell me everything you can about today's events, and young Jiemi."

When I got near the Reinosu, I see that it was being heavily guarded, but I didn't know why. The only thing I could think of was that they suspected me of being responsible for Onpu's disappearance. The fact that my team had reported me missing never crossed my mind. I backed away, and went in another direction. Not having access to my Reinosu would make it a lot harder to look for Onpu.

_So I'll have to do this myself, huh?_ I thought. _If I were running away..._ I stopped that train of thought. I **did** run away. I felt that I wasn't being appreciated, and so I ran away. But... I left because I wasn't being appreciated. Onpu just wanted to be a normal girl... _Where would a normal girl go?_

As I turned a corner, I saw a video arcade. _There's somewhere to start_, I figured. I entered, and started looking around. Peering between the games, I noticed an officer talking to the arcade's proprietor, and hid next to a large potted plant.

"Yeah, the girl was in her earlier. One of the regulars here offered to walk her home. Took me by a bit of surprise, though. He's not usually one to make friends fast," the owner was saying. "The girl looked a little nervous, but she looked willing enough to be going with him."

"Do you know where he lives?" the officer asked.

"Unfortunately, no. But one of the other regulars says that they've seen him hanging out by the black market Zoid shops."

"The black market shops? That's not a good area of town. I'd better check it out."

Once the officer left, I exited quickly as well. If I took the back alleys, I might be able to get there faster than the officer. This guy didn't sound like good news, and if he wasn't good news, then Onpu was in trouble.

When I reached the shops, I realized that it wouldn't be easy to find Onpu. This area was huge, and I didn't even know if she was here. _I don't even know this guy. How can I find where he might've taken Onpu?_ Then it hit me: _I'm a strategist. My job is to figure out what my opponent is thinking. Okay, so if my opponent is this guy who took Onpu, where would he hide, if he knows he's looking for me?_ Spotting what appeared to be an abandoned apartment building, I figured I'd start there.

Walking softly and looking around me, I heard voices coming from an apartment down the hallway.

"What do you want from me?" It was Onpu's voice.

"Listen, I don't want to hurt you. See?" I heard the sound of something hitting the floor. "But I know that you've got money, and I need some. So hand it over."

"I-I don't have anything! Please, just let me go!"

Running, I reached the open doorway. I saw Onpu huddled against the wall, with the guy facing her, away from me. The lyrics of that song came back to me _I know I'll never lose my life to save another soul_ Hmm... well, I never thought I'd be in a situation like this, but I got Onpu into this mess, so I need to get her out. Besides, she's my friend. So, pushing all other thoughts aside, I ran at the man.

"What in the-" he cried, twisting as I knocked him to the ground.

"Leave her alone!" I yelled. "Onpu, run!" Shocked, the girl got up and ran, as the man pushed me off of him, throwing me into the wall.

"You made a big mistake, boy," he told me. "I wasn't gonna hurt her, just get her money. But you're in for it now." He picked up his knife, then came at me.

Outside, Onpu ran straight into the officers who were just pulling up outside.

"Jiemi, he's in trouble! You've got to help him!" The officers looked at each other, then one of them ran inside. The other stuck Onpu in the car, then followed. Onpu reached and turned on the radio.

But if I will love then I will find

That I have touched another life

And that's something

Something worth leaving behind

It's been an insanely long time since I updated this, I know, but it's almost over. One, maybe 2 more chapters.


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